VV Simulator Manual: Main Screen

Main Radar Display

Top Menu

Start Button

Start Button

The Start Button is used to start and pause a simulator exercise. In some scenarios, when the simulator is paused, it may be back-stepped to an earlier time in the exercise.

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Clock Speed Indicator

Clock Speed Indicator

The Clock Speed Indicator is located to the left of the Simulator Clock. The indicator will show the current simulator speed, which may be varied in the Setup Window from x0.5 (half speed) to x2.0 (double speed). When the indicator is not present, the exercise is running at x1.0 (normal speed).

Click on the indicator (or press F11) to return to normal speed.

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Phrase Recognition Display and Transmission History

Phrase Recognition Display

The Phrase Recognition Display area shows the most recent phrase recognised by the speech system. This feature is useful for determining the quality of the speech recognition. If desired for training purposes (such as to promote proper aural checking of readbacks), this area may be removed from the screen by changing the setting in the Setup Window.

Clicking on the down-arrow will display the previously-recognised phrases in time order. This may be useful when using the backstep function.

For some special exercises, this area is also used to convey performance information. For example, in Compromised Separation training, the Closest Point of Approach (CPoA) information is displayed here after each scenario.

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Simulator Clock

Simulator Clock

The Simulator Clock shows the current 24-hour UTC time in the exercise. Where the time is displayed in blue the clock is running, when it is red the exercise has been paused.

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Exit Button

Exit Button

Clicking the Exit Button will terminate the simulator exercise.

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Side Menu

Maps Button

Open the Maps Window
This button opens the Maps Window for selection and de-selection of radar map elements.

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Setup Button

Open the Setup Window

This button opens the Setup Window which provides access to:

  • Colour Settings
  • Display Settings
  • Simulator Performance Settings
  • Speech Recognition and Speech Synthesis Controls
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    Second Radar Window (2W) Button

    Open the Second Window

    This button opens the Second Radar Window for display of the radar screen with a different centre and range. This window is useful for displaying areas of the radar screen in more detail, especially where there may be an unfolding traffic scenario that is being monitored.

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    Speed Probes Entry

    Speed Probes Display
    Speed Probes (also called Speed Vectors and Velocity Vectors) are a planning and traffic assessment tool that will show where a radar/surveillance return is predicted to be in the future.

    The display of Speed Probes may be toggled on and off by clicking the Speed Probes button. The length of the Probes (1 to 5 minutes) can be adjusted with the up and down arrows.

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    History Dots Entry

    History Dots Entry
    History Dots enable the controller to develop an assessment of both the speed and the tracking disposition of the aircraft.

    The display of History Dots may be toggled on and off by clicking the History Dots button. The number of Dots (1 to 9 dots) can be adjusted with the up and down arrows.

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    Radio Call Light

    Radio Call Light: Inactive

    The Radio Call Light provides an indication that a transmission is in progress, either by you, as the controller , or from an aircraft.

    If the call light is green, it is an indication that the frequency is not in use.

    Radio Call Light: PTT

    If the Call Light is yellow, your radio frequency is active. The button will display PTT for Press To Talk) when the controller is making a transmission. If the button is blank, or contains a decimal frequency number, this means that an aircraft is transmitting on that frequency.

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    Range Display and Entry

    Range Display and Entry

    The Range Display and Entry textbox will show the current scale on the main radar display. This is the number of nautical miles (or kilometres for metric exercises) from the centre to the top of the display.

    A custom scale may be manually entered here. This must be between a lower and upper range limit which varies depending on the ATC sector under control. Typically, the allowable range is between 2 and 500 NM. If an range is entered outside these limits, then an error message will appear.

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    Strip Window Selection

    Strip Window Selection
    There may be one or more Strip Window selectors on the Side Menu that will allow the display of Strip information. For some sectors, these buttons may be disabled.

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    Map Display

    Moving and Resizing the Map

    Commonly used functions in scrolling and resizing the radar screen are listed in the table below:

    Key

    Action

    Arrow Keys

    Offset map

    Page Up

    Decrease range

    Page Down

    Increase range

    Home or F9

    Restore default centre and range

    Shift-End or Shift-F10

    Store custom centre and range

    End or F10

    Restore custom centre and range

    The main simulator map is set to a default centre and range. To scroll to a new centre, the keyboard arrow keys may be used. The Page Up and Page Down keys are used to re-scale the map to a new range. Pressing Home or F9 will restore the map to the default centre and range.

    Pressing Shift-End or Shift-F10 will store the current centre and range as a custom setting. Pressing Endor F10 will revert to the custom centre and range.

    When the mouse is placed over the second radar screen, the use of the above keys will independently change the range and centre of the second radar screen.

    If the Mouse Zoom function is enabled, the centre and range of the map may be changed directly with a right click of the mouse

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    Alignment

    The radar map is always aligned with either True or Magnetic North. The size of some large Enroute sectors with variable magnetic variation requires the radar map to be aligned to True North.

    In this version of the VV Simulator the magnetic variation is always zero, so this setting will not have an effect on the alignment of the simulator map.

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    Map Colours

    Map colours are specific to each type of radar system. They may be changed in the Setup Window. After you have changed the colour palette, it may be stored as a personal setting. However every simulator update will require these settings to be re-recorded. It is recommended that the default colours be used.

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    Aircraft Display

    Elements of Track and Label

    Aircraft on the main radar screen are presented in the form of a Radar Track with an associated data block or label. An aircraft’s display contains several elements:

  • The Radar Track or Symbol: In VV Enroute, this is presented as a round symbol, centred at the geographic location of the aircraft at the last radar sweep.
  • The Leader-Line: A line joining the radar track to the data block.
  • The Data Block (label): A block of text containing information pertaining to the aircraft.
  • History Dots: A set of markers showing previous positions of the aircraft. As the name suggests, these are records of where the aircraft was at the most recent radar sweeps.
  • Speed Probe: A line segment showing predicted future positions of an aircraft at one-minute intervals. The Speed Probes are an instantaneous indication of the aircraft’s direction and speed and are useful in predicting future conflicts and timing turn instructions.
  • Selection Indication: An indicator associated with the radar track showing that the aircraft has been selected for some action. In the VV system, the radar track is surrounded by a larger circle.
  • The elements of the radar track provide information to the controller about the direction of flight, level, speed and clearance information. Clicking on various parts of the label will allow changes to various aspects of flight data, or enable the controller to seek further information about the aircraft's disposition.

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    Label Colours

    The colour of an aircraft’s display is determined by its control status. Aircraft that are under your control will generally have a different colour to those that are in a handover state (in out) or that are not yet under your control. Details are contained in the individual sector modules.

    For the VV system, controlled labels are green in colour, those that are handing-in or out are orange, and pending aircraft are blue.

    A particular aircraft display may be toggled between normal and a highlighted colour (quicklooked) by centre-clicking the radar track.

    Different elements of the label may also be presented in a different colour depending on the information presented to the controller. An example of this is the Cleared Level (CL/CFL) element which may be in highlighted color. Centre-clicking this element will toggle the highlight.

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    Moving the Label

    It is important that the label be located so that information from it is not obscured by other labels. For this reason, controllers often adopt a technique of continually moving the labels as aircraft proceed. This also aids in maintaining situational awareness.

    The data block is rotated or relocated on the screen by right-clicking on the radar track symbol and dragging the label to the desired location while the right mouse button is depressed.

    Some systems use a process whereby label movement is completed in a two step process. The radar track symbol is right clicked to produce a frame. This is moved to the desired location and another right click will complete the process. The use of the mode is available by selecting Label Frame in the Setup Window.

    Some radar systems allow for automatic de-confliction of labels so that the system continually ensures that they do not overlap. Where available, this feature is selectable in the Setup Window.

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    Contents of the Data Block

    Data Block Element

    Set by:

    Description

    Callsign

    System

    The callsign is the aircraft identification containing the airline abbreviation and flight number, the aircraft registration, or some other
    identifier.

    Aircraft Type

    System

    The abbreviator for the type, or make/model, of the aircraft.

    Radar Level (RL)

    System

    The level of the aircraft, as determined from the aircraft altimeter in feet above mean sea level. The information comes from the
    aircraft's altimeters via the radar system. It is measured in hundreds of feet and may be either an Altitude (when measured with respect to
    local atmospheric pressure) or a Flight Level (when measure with respect to standard pressure).

    Level Change Indicator

    System

    A symbol, (>, ^ or v) showing the vertical progress of the aircraft.

    (> [or blank] indicates the aircraft is level, ^ indicates the aircraft is on climb and v indicates it is on descent).

    Cleared Level (CL)

    Controller

    The level assigned to the aircraft by the controller, and entered into the label. The Cleared Level colour may be highlighted to provide a record of
    controller actions.

    Radar Groundspeed

    System

    The groundspeed of the aircraft, as calculated by the radar system, displayed in knots.

    Ops Data

    Controller

    Operational data entered into the label directly by the controller.

    Coordination Prompt

    Controller

    A memory prompt that may be toggled on and off in the label by the controller.

    Alert Indicators

    System

    An indication in the label that some action is required by the controller. Generally, the system has detected that the tracking, level or
    behaviour of the aircraft is not as expected.

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    VV Radar System Label

    VV Radar System Label

    The VV Radar System label will appear as in the diagram above.

    The VV Simulator is designed for the use of a three-button mouse. A two-button mouse may also be used, but some functions may not be available. Most of the mouse commands used in the simulator relate to various elements of the radar track, as shown in the diagram below.

    Clickable areas.

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    Label Mouse Functions

    The functions available by clicking the elements of the aircraft track are as follows:

    Track Element

    Click

    Function

    Radar Symbol

    Left

    Select/Unselect the Aircraft.

    Right

    Move the Label by dragging the mouse while the right button is selected

    Centre

    Highlight an aircraft (change to highlight colour)

    Aircraft callsign

    Right

    Opens the Mouse Control menu (when this function is enabled)

    Left

    Opens the Label Popup window

    Radar Groundspeed

    Left

    Opens the Speed Information Window (when this function is enabled)

    Cleared Level

    Left

    Opens the Cleared Level Selection window.

    Right

    Opens the Position Report Window (when this function is available)

    Centre

    Cleared Level Highlight Function: Highlights/de-highlights the Cleared Level

    Operational Data Area

    Left

    Click below the levels to open up a text box for entry of Operational Data, such as assigned headings, using the keyboard.

    Coordination Prompt Area

    Centre

    Click above the left side of the aircraft's callsign to add/remove an Coordination Prompt in highlight colour.

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